Winners of the 2013 Standard Bank Young Artist Awards have been announced

15 Nov 2012 08:17Awards

The eagerly awaited announcement of the winners for the 2013 Standard Bank Young Artist Awards took place at a function in Johannesburg on Wednesday, 14 November.

The Standard Bank Young Artist Awards are presented annually to young South African artists who are either on the threshold of national acclaim or whose artistic excellence has enabled them to make international breakthroughs. This year, an award for Performance Art has been presented for the first time.

“This year's group of Standard Bank Young Artists are celebrated for their vibrant and cutting edge creativity, their amazing intricacy of creative expression and their enormous talents which contribute to developing a stronger and more prosperous creative economy, and also to making a significant contribution towards defining our country's cultural identity,” said National Arts Festival director, Ismail Mahomed.

“The Standard Bank Young Artist Award gives recognition to the trajectory that their professions are taking to reflect the multifarious ways in which these artists work and to recognise the excellence of their work. They join an esteemed and celebrated group of previous winners of this prestigious award,” added Mahomed.

As part of their prize, each of the winners will be featured on the Main programme of the 2013 National Arts Festival in Grahamstown (Thursday, 27 June to Sunday, 7 July 2013), where they will be given the opportunity to develop and première new works. The winners are also given various opportunities to represent South Africa on international stages as a result of their association with the award.

Mandie van der Spuy, Standard Bank head of Arts and Jazz Sponsorship said, “Standard Bank is proud to have been associated with these prestigious awards for 29 years. Our support has contributed to nurturing and promoting the careers of many talented artists who have achieved great acclaim nationally and many at international level as well. Apart from ensuring that South Africa’s artistic heritage is preserved, we see our investment in the arts as a significant contributor to the social cohesion of our diverse cultures while simultaneously contributing to the local economy”.